The present invention relates to a ski binding, particularly for cross-country skiing.
Several types of bindings are currently known for the practice of cross-country skiing, which feature the essential characteristic of locking to the ski, a tip which projects forward from a specific item of footwear worn by the athlete.
Said tip, which is an extension of the sole, deforms resiliently during the stride, allowing to use the alternate-stride method.
Said known types of bindings are not free from disadvantages, among which is the remarkable stress which affects the tip, which is subject to breakage in the region of rigid coupling to the binding.
Another disadvantage resides in the fact that such bindings do not allow a good lateral grip of the footwear, that is, they do not allow the athlete to place the ski edge-wise on the snow.
This disadvantage is relevant, since skiers currently tend to adopt a mixed method comprising, besides the alternate stride, a new method, known as the lateral push stride method.
Said new method gives a better performance in skiing if it is possible to arrange the ski edge-wise or edge-on, imparting thereto a lateral movement in an oblique direction with respect to the direction of the skier's path.
As a partial solution to this problem, bindings are known which are composed of a first element adapted to lock the tip of the item of footwear, and a second element adapted to lock the heel region thereof.
The main disadvantage found in such known types is the high overall cost of the binding, since it comprises two separate elements.
Furthermore, the skier is prevented from adopting the alternate-stride method of skiing.